


Growing

by PaddlingTheCanoe



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, Self Confidence Issues, cause Nines is not looking any older, gavin is insecure about aging, just wanted to get this out there for the holy holdiay, no beta we die like men, this is the obligatory birthday fic, written in like 30 minutes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 01:22:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16231262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddlingTheCanoe/pseuds/PaddlingTheCanoe
Summary: Gavin is insecure about aging.Or, the obligatory birthday fic.(It's still his birthday in my time zone shhhh...)





	Growing

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this super quick and haven't had time to seriously proofread. I checked Tumblr, and it was exploding with Gavin's birthday stuff. I completely forgot it was today and wanted to get something out. I've been working on some longer fics, but it was fun to take a break and write some shameless birthday drabble. Enjoy.
> 
> -Paddle

Gavin’s first gray hair made its appearance the day before his and Nines’s three year anniversary. The human had been trimming his hair up to look a bit more put together for the upcoming date when the offending follicle released a short silver hair onto his black shirt. Gavin held the hair up and stared. Nearly ten minutes later, Nines found him. It was a somber anniversary. Gavin couldn’t stop thinking about the creases in his forehead, the softening of his jaw, the offending gray hair. He couldn’t possibly ignore them when his partner sat in front of him looking as immaculate as the day he was made.

Nines tried to assure Gavin that the older aesthetics were pleasing to him. When that didn’t work, the android tried to convince Gavin that he did not care about age at all. But nothing helped the human when his partner was looking more and more like a gold digger by the day. Eventually the topic dropped. Gavin swore to stop thinking about it (he didn’t), and Nines swore to not bring up Gavin’s appearance (he tried his best). Nines was the kind to dote, to give compliments, and Gavin’s insecurities drove the android up the wall. All Nines wanted was to show Gavin that this aging thing didn’t matter. That he loved Gavin no matter what.

It was Hank that eventually pointed out the laugh lines. It was just over a year after the anniversary crisis. The older detective leaned over and nudged the younger:

“Hey, does Nines look, I dunno, older? He’s got like, wrinkles. Around the eyes. Just noticed.”

Gavin turned to examine his partner where the latter was interfacing with Connor. He looked so much like his predecessor, but now Gavin saw an added detail he hadn’t noticed before. When the two androids parted ways, Nines flashed his signature smile, though with the addition of crow’s feet, laugh lines, crinkling the corners of his eyes. It was subtle but very effective. He looked five plus years older than the Connor model in terms of design.

Gavin decided it would be best to wait until they were in private to talk to the android. Inside, the detective was livid. He didn’t really know why.

The moment the pair stepped into their shared apartment, Gavin rounded on Nines.

“What the fuck is this?” The human pointed at the lines.

“I don’t know what you mean, Gavin.”

“Don’t play coy. The wrinkles. What are they?”

“Do you not like them?”

“What the fuck, Nines?”

Gavin was fuming. Nines was looking at him like the detective was a bomb set to blow. Maybe Gavin was. Years of self-hatred and a loving partner are the live wires sparking in Gavin's head, and this whole situation might as well have been a pool of gasoline.

There was a reason people called Gavin flammable.

"Get the fuck away from me. Just leave. I can't look at you right now."

Nines sucked in an artificial breath at the heat behind the words. The android did not, however, move away from where his back was pressed into the front door. Nines just stared at the human. His eyes were careful, calculating. Eventually, he reached out and set a gentle hand on Gavin's shoulder. His face melted into a soft smile.

Damn, Nines knew how to diffuse him.

"Gavin-"

"When did you get them?" Gavin looked at the floor. The anger was still there, the misplaced hurt, but he did not feel so explosive anymore. Just frustrated, confused.

"I obtained a large swath of extra synthetic skin a few weeks ago. It took me a while to find a suitable graft since my skin is a special design. My intention was to slowly appropriate the graft for giving myself the appearance of aging. I installed the first portion of the procedure this morning."

Gavin could not quite fathom what was happening. Nines…

"Why? Why do you want to look older?" The human wasn't stupid. He suspected the reason. He just wanted to hear the android say it.

"I thought that this may alleviate some of your insecurities about growing old. I do not care at all about you aging, but I thought it might comfort you if your partner aged as well."

Gavin slumped and rested his head on Nines's chest. It was all a bit much at the moment.

"Why today? You've had this stuff for weeks? Were you scared of how I'd react, cause man did I prove you right. I'm sorry. I… I don't really know how I feel about it right now."

Nines looked down at Gavin in surprise. The detective looked up as the android lifted his chin. Nines placed a soft kiss to the human's lips.

"Gavin, have you forgotten?"

"What?" 

"It's your birthday."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh," Nines said, that soft smile returning. 

"One year older."

"I know."

"Getting to be a geezer."

"If you say so."

"So what? You wanna be old men sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch yelling at kids to get off our lawn?"

Nines started moving away from the door, dragging his partner along with him. Gavin was still reeling, but he was surprising himself as the frustration and anger melted away into fondness. They would need to talk about this more, but not right then.

"I quite like the idea. I have never been particularly fond of children. Maybe we can obtain a hoarder's worth of cats and become old cat men together."

"Yeah, and play chess in the park on those old stone tables."

"And go to bingo in the community center on Thursday nights."

"And complain about all this new technology that is ruining the youth."

"Yes, I imagine incompatible charging cables would be the bane of my existence."

"Ha, yeah."

Nines stopped smiling and considered Gavin seriously.

"I hope you understand this future we're describing is the one I want. Whether you're thirty-seven or one hundred and seven, I will be here, Gavin. For as long as you'll have me. I love you."

Gavin choked on a breath.

"I love you, too, Nines. We'll… We'll talk about the skin thing tomorrow. I still don't really know how I feel about it. For now, I just want to enjoy tonight."

"Alright, Gavin. All the same, I hope you have a happy birthday."

Gavin considered for a moment.

"You know what, I don't care if this is sappy as shit. Any day with you is happy for me, Nines. Birthdays or naw."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.


End file.
